Apparatus for producing intermittent edge-crimped yarn



June 23, 1964 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING INTERMITTENT EDGECRIMPED YARNFiled Jan. 9, 1961 F. A. PRESTON ETAL l9 3l \3lo 4 2lu 35 g FIG. l-

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS FREDERICK vA. PRESTON CYRIL G. EVANS ATTORNEYJune 1954 F. A. PRESTON ETAL 3,137,912

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING INTERMITTENT EDGE-CRIMPED YARN Filed Jan. 9,1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS FREDERICK A. PRESTON ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent 3,137,912 APPARATUS FOR PRGDUCING INTERMITTENT EDGE-CEDYARN Frederick A. Preston, Clemson, and Cyril G. Evans,

Spartanburg, S.C., assignors to Deering Milliken Research Corporation,Spartanburg, S.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 9, 1961, Ser.No. 81,578 8 Claims. (U. 28-4) This invention relates to a novel methodand apparatus for producing intermittently elasticized stretch andbulked yarn, and more particularly to an improved method and apparatusfor producing intermittently elasticized stretch and bulkededge-tcrimped yarn.

The advantages of elasticizing and bulking thermoplastic yarn,particularly by edge crimping of the yarn, are now well known andestablished in the textile arts. Such elasticizing and bulking hasconventionally been effected in a continuous manner to produce acontinuously elasticized or bulked yarn product. In a copendingapplication of Bolinger and Pittman, Serial Number 834,517, filed August18, 1959, now US. Patent No. 3,047,932, there is disclosed a novelmethod and apparatus for producing intermittently elasticized and/orbulked yarn. A major feature of this invention is the provision of animproved apparatus for the production of fully developed intermittentlyelasticized and/ or bulked yarn in one continuous process. Such yarnproduct will thus include alternately elasticized and/or bulked segmentsand substantially unelasticized and/or bulked segments, and may beemployed in the production of various fabrics to produce various designeffects.

Still other features and advantages will become apparent to one skilledin the art from a reading of the following detailed description of apreferred embodiment constructed according to the invention, whereinFIGURE 1 is an overall schematic view in perspective of an apparatusaccording to the present invention, the apparatus being shown inelasticizing and bulking position.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side view in partial section of the elasticizingand bulking arrangement of FIGURE 1, showing the apparatus inelasticizing and bulking position.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the blade holding and yarn removing sectionof the apparatus.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective of the bladeholding and yarn removing section of the apparatus.

FIGURES 5 and 6 are schematic side views showing the blade and yarnremoving parts of the apparatus in the elasticizing and bulking positionand in the nonelasticizing and bulking position, respectively.

Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawing, a yarn Y ofthermoplastic material, and having any desired number of filaments, isfed from a suitable supply indicated at 11 through suitable guidemeans,- illustrated schematically at 13, over the larger diameterportion 14a of feed roll assembly 14, to an intermittent elasticizingand bulking arrangement, generally indicated at 15. The elasticizing andbulking arrangement 15 takes the form of a suitably rotatably drivengrooved heater roll 17, which may be heated in any suitable manner suchas by an electrical resistance element 19 as schematically illustrated,about which heater roll the yarn passes, preferably in one or morewraps, and a member 21 having a relatively sharp edge 21a (e.g..00l.O02" radius), such as a razor blade, spaced from the yarn heater.The blade 21, heater roll 17, and a subsequent suitably driven yarnengaging roll 23 are so arranged with respect to each other as to form asharp angular bend in the yarn as it proceeds over the edge 21a of theblade 21, the yarn thus having both a relatively small patent crimp anda relatively large latent crimp formed therein -by this passage over andfrom the blade or such other sharp edged element.

This intermittent latent crimp is subsequently developed according tothe invention in a continuous operation by subsequent passage of theyarn back over a smaller diameter portion 17b of the heater roll 17 andsmaller diameter portions 14b of feed roll assembly 14, the smallerdiameter being employed to permit a desired shrinkage of the yarn duringthe passage of the yarn between the initial heating portion 17a of theheater roll and the secondary heating or developing portion 17b thereof.The secondary heating or developing portion 1711 may preferably besmaller than the initial heating portion by a ratio approximatelyproportional to the average length, number, and duration of theincrementally spaced edge-crimped segments which have passed in contactwith the edgecrimping blade edge 21a. The texturized yarn is thensubsequently fed along a desired path over a guide pin 18 and about feedrolls 20 to a suitable yam takeup arrangement generally indicated at 27.

The continuous post-development of the incrementally spaced latent crimpin the overfed multifilament thermoplastic yarn causes a considerablebulking in the incremental segments which have passed in contact withthe edge-crimping blade edge 21a, while the incremental segments of theyarn which have passed by the blade edge 21a without contact therewithremain substantially straight and unchanged with substantially no bulk.This bulking eifect is more pronounced in yarns having a relativelylarge number of filaments.

As the yarn proceeds through the elasticizing and bulking arrangement 15it is periodically moved into and out of latent elasticizing and bulkingposition. To this end the yarn is moved away from and into contact withthe sharp edge of the blade through the medium of an arm 29 suitablyconnected to the reciprocable armature 31a of a solenoid 31 carried on asupport bracket generally indicated at 41, which solenoid isintermittently actuated by a suitable intermittent electrical signalgenerator generally indicated at 33. The solenoid 31 may be connectedfor movement of the arm 29 in either direction, and a return spring 35may suitably be employed for returning the armature 31a and arm 29 tothe opposite end of their throw. In the illustrated embodiment thesolenoid 31 when actuated moves the arm 29 to remove the yarn Y awayfrom contact with the sharp edge 21a of the blade 21, and the returnspring 35 returns the armature 31a and arm 29 to normal retractedquiescent position. While any desired signal generator may be employedfor effecting electrical signals to actuate the solenoid, it ispreferable in most cases that the signal generator give a random signaloutput, although in some instances a particular pattern output may behighly desirable in order to give a specific fabric pattern effect.

-In the illustrated embodiment the reciprocated arm 29 is formed ofspring steel which is preferably slightly bent downwardly and toward theblade surface to provide a resilient bias toward its seated position,and is formed at its outer end with a pair of spaced apart yarnconfining fingers 29a, or alternatively with a widthwise concave endsurface, in order to laterally confine the yarn and prevent it fromsliding off the edge of the yarn remover arm 29 as a result of beingremoved from the blade edge 21a by the reciprocating movement of thearm. The outer yarn engaging edge 29b of the arm has a substantially andmaterially larger radius of curvature (e.g. .030- .060" or more) thanthat of the crimping edge 21a, in order that this yarn engaging endsurface 2% of the yarn remover arm will effect substantially no edgecrimping of the yarn. While it will normally be preferred to effectsubstantially no crimping of the yarn during the period of its removalfrom the sharp edge 21a of the blade 21 by the reciprocable arm 29 itmay in some instances be desirable to effect merely a lesser degree ofcrimping during the passage of yarn over the yarn-engaging edge surface2% of the reciprocable arm, as by employing a ratio of radius ofcurvature of edge 2% relative to edge 21a of, for example, 1.5-2 to 1,thus yielding a further and different yarn patterning effect when theresulting yarn is incorporated in a fabric.

In order to maintain the yarn removal edge 2% substantially parallel tothe edge 29a, and also to aid in effecting the desired intermittentreciprocable motion of the arm 29, the support bracket 41 for the blade21 is preferably provided with a slot 37 having guide shoulders 39 oneither side thereof over at least a portion of the arm length in orderto provide for smooth laterally stable movement of the arm 29 duringremoval from and replacement of the yarn onto the blade edge 21a. Also,as an aid to yarn threadup, the support bracket 41 may, if desired, besuitably swingably mounted about a pivot axis 43, as on a pin or rod orother suitable member, not shown, such swingable mounting constructionbeing illustrated and described in more detail in the prior copendingapplication Serial Number 652,153 of Cyril G. Evans, now U.S. Patent No.3,028,654.

While a specific embodiment has been shown and described by way ofillustration, it will become apparent to one skilled in the art from theteachings set forth therein that various embodiments, modifications, andimprovements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit ofthe invention. It is therefore to be understood tht this invention isnot to be limited by the particular illustrative embodiment shown anddescribed herein but only by the scope of the appended claims.

That which we claim is:

1. Edge crimping yarn processing apparatus comprising intermittentlatent crimping means, latent crimp developing means, and means ofprogressing a running length of yarn under tension successively andsequentially into operative contact with said intermittent latentcrimping means and into operative contact with said latent crimpdeveloping means; said intermittent latent crimping means including twodifferent yarn engaging members mounted for linear movement of thepoints of yarn contact one in relation with the other, said points ofcontact lying in substantially the same vertical plane as the yarn andselectively engageable with a side thereof, one of said yarn engagingmembers having a sharp crimping edge effective of imparting latent crimpeffecting stresses to the yarn when in contact therewith, and the otherof said yarn engaging members having a realtively less sharpyarn-engaging edge and less capable of imparting latent crimp effectingstresses to the yarn and means for reciprocating one member in astraight path relative to the other.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said other of said members hasopposed lateral-movement-restraining surfaces formed thereon adjacentsaid yarn engaging edge in order to prevent slipping of the yarn offsaid other member edge during engagement therewith.

3. Edge-crimping yarn processing apparatus comprising intermittentlatent crimping means, latent crimp developing means, and means ofprogressing running lengths of yarn under tension into operative contactwith said latent crimp developing means; said intermittent latentcrimping means including two different yarn engaging members havingpoints of contact lying in substantially the same vertical plane as theyarn and selectively engageable with a side thereof, one of said yarnengaging members having a sharp crimping edge effective of impartinglatent crimp effecting stresses to the yarn when in contact therewith,and the other of said yarn engaging members having a relatively lesssharp yarn-engaging edge and less capable of imparting latent crimpeffecting stresses to the yarn, said intermittent latent crimping meansalso including parallel guide means for maintaining the generalparallelism of said edges at the point of yarn contact therewith, andmeans for reciprocating one of said members relative to the other ofsaid members and in a direction perpendicular to said edges at the pointof yarn contact therewith.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said means for reciprocatingcomprises a solenoid, and intermittent signal generating meansoperatively connected in controlling relation to said solenoid.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said intermittent latentcrimping means comprises yarn heating means for heating said yarn as itis progressed, and means for intermittently stressing said yarndifferentially across its cross section at spaced intervals along itsprogressing length, said latent crimp developing means comprising yarnheating means arranged in subsequent flow relation to said means forintermittently and differentially stressing said yarn.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said two yarn heating meanscomprise two heater roll surfaces one of which heater roll surface isdisposed in preceding flow relation to said means for intermittently anddifferentially stressing the yarn and the other of which heater rollsurfaces is disposed in subsequent flow relation to said means forintermittently and differentially stressing the yarn, and means forrotating said heater roll surfaces each at a different linear velocity,said one roll surface being rotated faster than said other roll surfaceby an amount which is an approximate function of the average length,number, and duration of the intermittent differential stresses impartedto the yarn by said means for intermittently and differentiallystressing the yarn.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said two heater roll surfacesare concentric and formed on a single heater roll, said one heater rollsurface having a larger effective diameter than said other heater rollsurface.

8. Edge-crimping yarn processing apparatus comprising intermittentlatent crimping means and means of progressing running lengths of yarnunder tension into operative contact with said intermittent latentcrimping means; said intermittent latent crimping means including twodifferent yarn engaging members mounted for linear movement of thepoints of yarn contact one in relation with the other said points ofcontact lying in substantially the same vertical plane as the yarn andselectively engage able with a side thereof, one of said yarn engagingmembers having a sharp crimping edge effective of imparting latent crimpeffecting stresses to the yarn when in contact therewith, and the otherof said yarn engaging members having a relatively less sharpyarnengaging edge and less capable of imparting latent crimp effectingstresses to the yarn and means for reciprocating one member in astraight path relative to the other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,669,001 Keen Feb. 16, 1954 2,931,089 Evans Apr. 5, 1960 2,977,746Klein Apr. 4, 1961 3,047,932 Pittman et a1 Aug. 7, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS558,297 Great Britain Dec. 30, 1943

1. EDGE CRIMPING YARN PROCESSING APPARATUS COMPRISING INTERMITTENTLATENT CRIMPING MEANS, LATENT CRIMP DEVELOPING MEANS, AND MEANS OFPROGRESSING A RUNNING LENGTH OF YARN UNDER TENSION SUCCESSIVELY ANDSEQUENTIALLY INTO OPERATIVE CONTACT WITH SAID INTERMITTENT LATENTCRIMPING MEANS AND INTO OPERATIVE CONTACT WITH SAID LATENT CRIMPDEVELOPING MEANS; SAID INTERMITTENT LATENT CRIMPING MEANS INCLUDING TWODIFFERENT YARN ENGAGING MEMBERS MOUNTED FOR LINEAR MOVEMENT OF THEPOINTS OF YARN CONTACT ONE IN RELATION WITH THE OTHER, SAID POINTS OFCONTACT LYING IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME VERTICAL PLANE AS THE YARN ANDSELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE WITH A SIDE THEREOF, ONE OF SAID YARN ENGAGINGMEMBERS HAVING A SHARP CRIMPING EDGE EFFECTIVE OF IMPARTING LATENT CRIMPEFFECTING STRESSES TO THE YARN WHEN IN CONTACT THEREWITH, AND THE OTHEROF SAID YARN ENGAGING MEMBERS HAVING A REALTIVELY LESS SHARPYARN-ENGAGING EDGE AND LESS CAPABLE OF IMPARTING LATENT CRIMP EFFECTINGSTRESSES TO THE YARN AND MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING ONE MEMBER IN ASTRAIGHT PATH RELATIVE TO THE OTHER.